1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a boat or watercraft step with an improved support and retracting mechanism, and in particular, to such a step having a locking mechanism for locking the step in the retracted position.
2. Description of the Related Art
In watercraft such as personal watercraft and boats, it is desirable to have an outboard step, which assists a user in boarding a personal watercraft or boat, e.g., from the water after falling off, swimming or water skiing. In U.S. Pat. No. 5,970,905 to the present inventor, a retractable telescopic and rotatable step for a watercraft is disclosed. The patent teaches a U-shaped retractable step that retracts both rotationally and axially, and is mounted to the underside of the transom of a personal watercraft. The step is biased into the storage position by a relatively strong torsion spring. It would be desirable to lock the step in place when it is in the deployed (use) position.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,842,709 to Maccabee discloses a retractable swing down step assembly which is motorized and which locks into the storage position. The lock is meant to keep the step in place while the vehicle it is attached to is moving. The lock is actuated electronically. It does not have a locking mechanism that locks a step into the use position.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,312,515 to Allori discloses a self-locking step assembly for a vehicle. The step swings out of the retracted position and into the use position. In both positions the step locks due to a pin that fits into a slot on a cylinder. The cylinder rotates and the pin locks it into place. However, this lock requires the step to be in such a position where gravitational force causes the step to lock into place. This lock is also weak and insufficient for use on a boat ladder such as the one in U.S. Pat. No. 5,970,705 described above.
There is a need for a lock for a step for a retractable ladder for a personal watercraft or boat or other vehicle or structure, which lock is for the use position and which is easily released.